Shackles
by The Orange Rockruff
Summary: Taken out of the home he knew, Charma is a young teen who has lost everything. Will he be able to break the Shackles of Fate? Or will his efforts be in vain?
1. Artes of Battle

_It was now or never. I had to get this kill, or else I would go hungry tonight in the Village. The Elk I was about to murder sat grazing in the meadow. I sighed. I hated killing animals. I knew they might have had families as well, but hey. You gotta get food, right? That's what my mentor at home tells me._

I examine the playing field. A hilltop, covered in snow. Some shrubbery off to the side, and a single Elk grazing little pieces of grass it can harvest on the top of said hill. About a mile or two away from my Village. Arhnigel Valley, we call it. Its a sunny day in the middle of February. Doesn't matter where we live. Always snowing. We live on top of a Mountain. Crestlueflerhe Mountain, Crest for short. That's also the name of my Village. But enough about the area, back to what I was doing. Hunting an Elk.

I sat behind a shrub, in a crouched position.I peeked over at the hunting target. It was looking away. Now was my chance. I jumped (quietly) from behind the shrubbery. I ran at the Elk, my feet lifting off the ground, keeping me quiet. A Technique my Mentor taught me. When I got close enough, I drew my twin blades. I turned into a slanted position, flung my arms our, swords in hand, and began to spin towards the animal. I felt the blood spurt on me as the blades connected. The animal fell to the ground, as did I. I wiped the blood off my swords, and grabbed the now dead Elk's leg. I flung it over my shoulder, and began for home.

I guess now's a good of time as any to introduce myself. The name's Charmeadon. Or, Charma for short. If you couldn't tell, I'm a Charmander, also a hunter. I live in the small Village of Crest, with my mentor and adoptive father, Aluth the Lucario. He teaches me many things, including Swordfighting. in this world, Pokemon Moves are nonexistent. Only a select few can master their Element, or Type. We call these people "Elementals", but they are just a legend now. We haven't seen one in a thousand years, not since the great Lucario known as Alexandre. Anyways, enough about all that.

I heaved my catch back to Crest. Like a said, a mile was in between me and the village. I trudged ahead, cutting off a piece of the Elk to snack on. It was getting dark. I had to hurry. I broke into a run, sweat dripping from my skin. I reached the village about a half an hour later, and threw the Elk into the butchery, then I stumbled back into my home, falling into a deep slumber in my cotton bed.

About an hour later (I assume, I really have no sense of time) I was awoken by the sounds of Aluth's voice.

"Wake up, Charmeadon." The Lucario was the only one who called me by my real name. "We need to practice." I shuffled out of my bed. Aluth walked out of the room, and I put on clean clothing. A warm coat with a fuzzy collar, tan snowpants, warm mittens, and my White Scarf. I grabbed my swords and ran out the back door into our training area. Aluth was already there, his large sword in hand. He shifted into a battle position almost immediately.

"Alright, Charmeadon. Remember what I taught you. Use your skills." Aluth was one of the few people who could take almost any beating with full force. It was fun practicing with him, even if I got a few injuries.

"Alright, lets go!" I drew my swords. The battle was engaged. I ran full force at Aluth, blades ready to strike, he turned around, and threw his large weapon over his shoulder, hitting me by the legs, and making me miss my attack on him. I stumbled backwards.

"Impressive." He smiled, then closed his eyes. I know what he was doing, and immediately jumped in the air, coming down full force on him, knocking him over.

"Ugh." He sighed as he slowly got back up. "...You do well, Charmeadon, but you forget one thing."

"And what is that?"

"Your Artes."

 _Damnit!_

He rushed towards me, and kicked me into the air. "Shining Force!" He jumped up, and spun around me, slashing and stabbing. I wanted to cry out, but I could not. It _hurt._ Finally, he hit me over the head with his weapon, knocking me back to earth.

Damn.

"Ugh..." I slowly got up, when he threw something at me. It was...an Oran Berry. I quickly engulfed it, my energy restored.

"Try your Arte on me. Surely you have been practicing?"

"Yes, Father." I rocketed into the air. He got back into his battle stance. I began to shoot down at him. "Swirling Strike!" I rammed down on him, slashing and attacking. After a while, I flipped back, landing on the spot I stood on before.

"Wow...You have trained well, Charmeadon. I think that is enough for today." We began to walk back into the house.

* * *

 **Tfw you try to make something long but you fail and make it 900 words TT^TT  
**


	2. Memory

_"Sol, we have to leave, now!"_

It was raining. A blood red sun hung above our heads, casting a darkening shadow around the forest we were in. We, being what I assumed to be myself, and an older woman, probably in her thirties. I looked through what seemed to be a child's eyes.

 _"SOL!"_ She grabbed my wrist, and we burst into a sprint. A small house stood in the distance, and it seemed like we were running there.

We ran for a long time. Several hours, it seemed. Shadow-y figures would rise up around us, red eyes glaring straight through me. It was horrifying. We kept our sprint up, until we entered a large opening at the base of the hill in which the small house resided. Several Shadows appeared around us. The older woman drew a large bow, and handed me a dagger.

 _"If you need to fend off against the demons, use this dagger."_ she nicked an arrow and let it fly into one of the enemies. It hit the thing, making it disappear into thin air. I ran at another one, slashing forcefully, and killing it off as well. We kept this up for several minutes, until a man ran up to us.

 _"Ignis!"_ the woman yelled, sheathing her weapon and giving him a loving hug.

" _Yes, hello, Kasai. I see you and Sol fended off the demons?"_ the man walked over to me and ruffled my curly blonde hair. _"Nice work, Kiddo."_

 _"Ignis, there is no time to waste. What do you plan on doing?"_ the lady asked in a frightened tone.

 _"I plan to run to the village to find any survivors. Take Sol to Elder Alusk, and bring him into...the other world."_ he turned around and began to run into the forest.

We ran up the hill, huffing and puffing all the way. The hill was pretty steep, but we eventually reached the top, and slammed the door open.

 _"Elder Alusk!"_ the woman yelled out. The older man walked out of another room, a worried look on his face.

 _"Ah, Kasai. You want to enter the other world...?"_ he was one who got to the point, thats for sure.

 _"Both me and Sol."_ she said as the man opened a large rift in the middle of the floor.

 _"A child?! Kasai, you know that is dangerous! He could get amnesia, or worse...!"_ the elder spoke quietly.

 _"I know, but Sol must be safe."_ she walked up the stairs, getting ready to jump into the rift. _"Sol, you will be safe. Jump in before me."_ she smiled weakly at me, and I jumped in.

It was dark for several minutes, until whatever I was falling in began to light up. Reds, yellows, greens...it was a large amount of colors.

 _"Hello!"_ I heard a more happy voice say. A large mirror came in front of me. I looked in, seeing what I looked like.

I had curly blonde hair. My eyes were a dark green color, and I had freckles sprinkled throughout the middle of my face. But I couldn't see much else...the mirror became distorted. I couldn't see myself any more. Then...

 _"If your friend was getting bullied by another friend, what would you do?"_ A sudden question rang out. I simply answered back: "I would jump in and stop them immediately!" the mirror became a little bit less distorted, and I could see a dark figure in the shape of my figure.

"If you had to listen to any type of music, what would it be?" Another question. I thought for a moment, before responding: "I would listen to fast paced battle themes!" the figure slightly became more clear. Then finally...

"What is your name and gender?" The final question. "Sol is my name. I am a boy."

After that, a blinding light shined, forcing me to close my eyes. I opened them a second later to find a large continent. A larger ball of light flew to the left, and I began to fly to the right. Little did I know a third light followed behind me to a large mountain range...


	3. Shackles of Fate

( _Night of Fate - Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories)_

It was night. The same red glow within my dream haunted the room.. The windows were covered up by boards, and only little light got through. I ran out of the room, and found the door in the same state as the windows. I saw more of the red light. It was...eerie.

I began to whack against the door. It took me several slams before I got through. Grabbing my swords, I jumped through the broken hole in the door, to find smoke. I looked to my left.

Fire. A large one, and it was closing in. The first thought that went through my mind was: where would I go?!

Then I remembered. The hunting area I had been in the day before. I ran for the road that went down to the area, occasionally jumping at a bit of fire.

Several minutes later, I would encounter something. Several Shadow Figures from my dream crept up, blocking my path. Unsheathing my blades, I stabbed several in the chest, using them to clear a path. I would encounter another one, flipping over them with ease. I had about a half of a mile left after this, filled with Shadows.

I eventually finished them all off, running into the area. Thats where I saw my father and...him. The demon. They were fighting, sword against claw.

But in the end, the demon won. He stabbed through my fathers chest, sending a shock wave in the process. I screamed out his name as he fell to the ground. Filled with adrenaline, I rushed to him immediately. Examining his wounds, I knew he was dead.

"What. _Have._ _ **You. DONE?!**_ " I turned and pointed my sword at the demon.

(Battle! Giratina - Pokemon Platinum)

We started our clash with a simple sword strike. I was infuriated, slashing at his now blood-stained claw. Eventually breaking it, I would jump onto his hand, targeting the other claws. Breaking them as well, he flung me off. I landed, running towards the 6 chest spikes. Targeting two, I broke them with ease. This pained the enemy, as it yelled out a distorted roar. Ugh.

I attacked a third spike, breaking it. The demon pushed me back, however, and injured my arm. It didn't bother me. I jumped into the air using one of its hands as a jump pad of sorts, and began to stab at its forehead. It cried out with every hit, until it flung me into a tree. I felt no pain, and began to slash at its tail. I would break it, blood spewing on my sword. I ran to the front, stabbing a fourth chest-claw. It screamed out in horror, allowing me a final strike against the 5th and 6th claw. I stabbed it in its now-exposed chest. A blinding light appeared, and I shielded my eyes. When I looked again, it was gone, as was the blood red moon from my dream. Realizing my wounds, I began to limp towards my father, now dead.

I fell to my knees, putting my hand in his. Tears began to spew from my eyes. He was dead. The village was gone. Everything I knew...

gone.

I put my sword in the ground and grabbed his large sword. Grabbing the sheathe, I wrapped it around my chest. Putting the sword in the sheathe. I looked at the sky. It was raining.

I yelled out his name one last time in agony.

 _The Shackles of Fate have begun to grasp..._


	4. A Boy, A Girl, And Moomoo Milk

**Alright, I am DONE with writing chapters for this, holy mother. 3 Chapters for one story in the span of what, 2, 3 days? Yeesh...**

 **Although, I did take an AFK for like, 5 months, so...**

 **Onto Chapter 4.**

 _(Mystery Woman's POV)_

"Ugh, I hate this dress!" I yelled out.

"Calm yourself, Lady Marriane! We need you in this dress for the next royal meeting in several hours!" The first day of March, it was. Wonderful.

Well, I guess introductions are in order. Hello! I am Marriane Annibeth The Third. I am the Eevee princess of the Kingdom of Lycka. a kingdom in Northeast Lyshiro, near the Crest Mountains.

"Aww, but Amelia! I hate wearing this dress! Why can't I pick one?!" I asked angrily.

"Because your father, King Edward, wants you to wear this dress and this one alone!"

I jumped out of the dress. "Look, Amelia. I do not want to wear that dress, okay? Arceus forbid I wear one i actually LIKE!"

"As you wish, I guess..." she sighed.

"Amelia, you have been my maid for a long time. You of all people should know I dislike most dresses. Now, if you excuse me, I'm going to go to the Market." I shooed her out of the room, then put on my clothing. A poofy white dress with a pink bow on the back end of my waist. Grabbing my woven basket, I walked out, and down the hall to the gate of the castle. Waving goodbye, I walked out into the streets.

It was daylight, and the sun shined with a great light. I sighed, realizing I forgot a Parasol, but shrugged it off and walked onwards to the market. Looking at its wares, I bought several food items. Bread, Big Apples, Oran Berries, etc. I would occasionally wave hello to several people I know. Here, its different to see a princess walking out in the open. Its just...normal, I guess.

But this day would be anything but normal, and it started with the Charmander. He wore Snow equipment, a tan coat with a spiked white collar, a white scarf, and tan snow pants. On his back was a large sword, and two others hung at his sides. He was looking at the new Moomoo Milk shipment, the final thing I require. I walked over to the stand, grabbing a bottle. Noticing he did the same, I shyly waved at him. His face turned a cute shade of red, and I giggled out loud, walking over.

"Well, look who's embarrassed?" I teased, poking him in the nose. He turned an even brighter shade of red.

"S-stop that!" he looked kind of irritated, and I laughed it off.

"So, you like Moomoo Milk as well?" I asked. I received a simple nod.

"Yes, yes I do." he replied.

"It does taste quite delicious. Hey, what is your name?" I suddenly asked, my eyes filling up with intrigue.

"Charma is my name. You?" he put down two coins for his bottle of milk, then cracked it open and began to drink it.

"Maria-" I was cut off by him spilling the drink all over his face. His eyes lit up as we both laughed at the incident. "Nice going, hotshot."

"Oh, hush." he grabbed a tissue and wiped it off, then walked up next to me.

"So, uh, where are you from?" I asked.

"Crest, or whats left of it, anyways." he looked down, seemingly sad.

"Ah, I'm sorry! I didn't mean to bring back bad memories..."

"Nah, its fine. What about you?"

"Oh, I'm the Princess here." I smiled kindly at him.

"Princess? Oi, I wonder what its like to be royalty."

"Not fun, lemme tell you..." I went on a small tangent on why being Royal was bad, and at the end he nodded in agreement. Kind of a passive guy.

"Wait, I know a better place we can talk. Follow me." I grabbed his wrist and we began to run into a road leading out of town. On the outskirts was a large hill. And on that hill, a Tree. I was leading him to there.


	5. Something Special

( _Chapter Five: Something Special)_  
We ran through the village. He would consistently ask me to slow down, but, well, I didn't. I wanted to show him this special place

It was a hill, with a tree planted there. My grandfather had planted it there years before. I've always been so attached to the tree. It's been a part of my family for a while. I wanted to show this charmander it. I...honestly didn't know why I wanted to. I don't know him besides his name, but...I just felt...something special from him.

It became night before we arrived. The moon shone high in the sky, and a log sat under the trees, in perfect range for viewing the night sky. We sat down.

"Hey, so, uh...why did you bring me here?" he asked his first of many questions that night.

"Well..." I considered lying to him, but I decided against it. "This place is...very dear to my heart. It's out of the way and takes a while to get to. It's rare anyone gets to be here." I shrugged.

"So...am I special or something?" he inquired, turning his head in some kind of...cute fashion.

"Well, I dunno...you just...seem different, that's all."

"Good or bad?"

"Hmm?"

"Is being different good or bad?"

"Being different is an amazing thing, honestly. Being different from everyone else, being able to act your own way...it's wonderful." I looked up at the moon, gazing at it.

"True, true." he nodded in agreement, again. "So, you're a princess?"

"Yeah, why?"

"I dunno. Shouldn't you be...in the castle, or something?"

"I mean, no. Around here, it's normal to see the royal heirs roaming the village. My father is very lenient, and quite honestly, he doesn't care what I do."

"Heh, I wish my father was like that."

"What do you mean?"

"Ah, he just..." he looked down at his feet. "He was very...strict."

"What do you mean?"

"He would often tell me what to do. Go hunt for food, go scavenging, etc. But I mean, our village was small. Besides a few others, I was the only hunter in the village, meaning i was the provider of food. I didn't have a choice, but it didn't bother me that much..."

"Huh. What's hunting like?"

"Killing."

"Ah."

"I could show you sometime."

"Heh, maybe." I looked up at the night sky.

"You know, my father used to tell me a poem about the moon."

"Really?"

"Yeah. It...was interesting."

"Do you remember any of it?"

"Kinda...I remember the chorus, at least."

"Sing it!"

"Uh, okay..." he cleared his throat, then began to speak.

 _In my wake, thou shall cower._

 _In the light, darkness shall flower._

 _Darkness will take the world._

 _Bad or good, the choice is yours._

"Wow...that's so...cool."

"Thanks..." he blushed slightly at the compliment.

"So, uh, did you tell me your name? You probably did and I forgot." I chuckled a little at my joke.

"Charma. And you're...Maria, yes?"

"Uh, yeah. Maria is my name."

"Alright. Sweet!"

We continued talking. For hours on end. He was such an interesting person...maybe i was falling for him at that time...eugh, I was dumb when I was a kid.


	6. Anarchy

_(?'s POV)_

"Love, this is MADNESS!" I exclaimed.

"No, it's not, and you know full well why I'm doing it, Rai." She responded, a dark look in her eye.

"B-but they don't deserve it! What has their world ever done to us?"

"Again, you know. The despair, hatred, and agony has disturbed us all. We have to rebel against it." She looked around the dimly-lit room.

"But, is this the correct way to go about it?!" I raised my voice. "They're simple Pokemon! They have no idea we exist or even that we are hurting them!"

"RAI." She responded. "You put this ring on my claw for a reason, yes?"

"Y-yes..."

"And why did you do that?"

"You know full well, Gira."

"Even still, say it out loud."

"Because I love you, what else?"

"And love equals trust, correct?" The dragon Pokemon asked.

"Yes..."

"Trust me, Rai. I swear, this has to work out...Dialga Knowles of my plans. After the event with the Time Gears, he knows how to control his Primal state."

"No, you aren't-!"

"Yes, I am. This is the only thing we can do. Fight them until they join together."

"But, this is anarchy! Abuse of your legendary powers!"

"What else is there to do...?" Her head dropped. This was not the Giratina I knew.

"What's going on? Why do you want to fix _this_ world so badly?"

"Because, I feel...something from them. Something powerful, and...if it's used incorrectly, they could all he gone. I don't want that, after Mewtwo died."

Mewtwo. Her best friend. That's why.

"I'm so sorry, Gira. I don't want you to be sad because of Mewtwo..."

"What else can I feel?! I don't want others to die like he did, Rai!" Tears stung the Dragons eyes.

"Again, I'm sorry but...can we not communicate with them in another way? Speak with their leaders?"

"No. I've tried. I've been resented by all but...one."

"W-who?!"

"Marriane. Princess of Lycka."

"Goodness...she's a child, though!"

"So? She may be our last hope."

"Maybe..." I floated over to her and looked into her eyes. She looked back, a sad smile plastered on her face.

"I love you, Gira."

"I love you too, Rai."

* * *

 **Sorry for such a short chapter and, such a talkative one. I swear, next chapter will be more action packed (and hopefully, longer!)**


	7. A Queen's Gambit

(Chapter 7: A Queen's Gambling)

I slammed my red clawed paw down upon the wooden table, several of the chips falling over. I didn't care. Several of the women across from me almost yelled as they begrudgingly gave me their golden coins.. Several other people laughed happily, and it echoed through the Casino. It was packed that day, and many had begun to leave. The coins clanged against my red claws as I shuffled them into my pocket, then began to place down more chips. A waiter walked up to me.

"Would you like anything…" he handed me a drink, then leaned in, his eyes narrowing. "Queen Alma?" The sound of glass breaking echoed through the large building as I opened my eyes in shock. I had dropped the drink he handed me or the ground. The waiter threw the towel away from his arm, and drew a blade from the sheath on his waist. All butlers in Suma often had weapons for protection, but not for combat. I jumped away from them, and threw my coat off, revealing my clothing: A thieves clothing. Sleeveless shirt, thin shorts, boots, et cetera. I had no weapon on me; my claws did all the work. Several other "butlers" had their weapons drawn, as well.

I ran at the man who first attempted to hit me, a simple swipe. He dodged quickly, and I stabbed at him, sending him to the ground. Another tried to whack me with the hilt of his blade, but missed, and hit another enemy, toppling them ovee. Grabbing his knife, I quickly shoved it into the stomach of another enemy, and his screech echoed. Three of the five remaining butlers jumped at me, in attempt to overwhelm. I spunquickly around, and swiped, killing them all in a single strike. Dropping the knife, I ran at what seemed to be their leader. He seemed to brace himself for injury, and a smart decision it was. I swiped at his arm, drawing blood. He screeched for his ally, who got a strike on my back. Crying out, I turned around and kicked the enemy to the wall, who was knocked out in the hit. Finally, I made my way to the leader, and twirled upwards. Beginning to spin, I came down upon him, dropping him to the floor. Vaulting off his now-limp body, I flung myself to the door, and ran outside, to find several women wearing knight's clothing outside, waiting for me. They pointed their weapons at me.

"M'am, you are under arrest for-" I reached for something n my shirt, and I pulled it out. A golden amulet, with a sand dune upon it. "L-Lady Alma! My apologies..." the two women bowed, their heads almost touching the sandy ground.

"It's fine. Return to your stations, and call the captain of your squadron. I need to speak with her." I shooed away the knights, and in several minutes, another came to me, bowing almost immediately.

"My queen." She stood up. "What has happened within that Casino?" I told her of the fake butlers, and the skirmish. "Another rebellion...my queen." Her eyes turned to sorrow as she gazed at me.

"I know what you're gonna say.." I frowned. "It's not going to happen." She sighed.

"Your rebellious attitude is not going to bring other countries in favor of Suma. In fact, we have reports that Dragnoir plans to denounce you."

"The bastard..." I sighed loudly. "I'll have to speak with him later. What of Lycka and Vuor?"

"They are still in good relation to us, milady." She smiled. I nodded, and began to walk towards the largest building in the town. Castle Suma.

xxxxxxxxxxx

I hurriedly ran up to the castle. I forgot the date Maria had set with me earlier that week.

"Oh, hell, Maria is gonna be pissed..." I began to sprint, and eventually, I reached the castles gate.

"Halt!" The gatekeepers yelled. "Who are you, and what business do you have within the castle?" The guards put out their surprisingly long spears to block me from entering.

"I'm... _pant_ here to... _wheeze_...see Princess Maria..." I doubled over, wheezing heavily.

"Heh. Funny joke." The gatekeeper to my left laughed quietly, while the other stood stern. "Go home, boy. Your lies are unreasonably stupid."

"He's with me, Gatekeeper. No need to fret." Maria stepped out of the door. "Thank you for being diligent in your work, however." She turned to me.

"Hello, Charma." She smiled. "Are you ready to go?"

"Yup. I have my bag packed, my swords sharpened...everything."

"Perfect. Let's go!" Maria began to walk towards the town gate.

 **Yay, another chapter! Finally.**

 **Charma: No kidding.**

 **Maria: Yup.**

 **Alma: Of course. You writers will never have consistent upload times, will you?**

 **Self: Nope!**


	8. Journey Begins

"So, tell me something." me and Charma strolled down the paved walkway to the gate. "Where do you think we should go?" He turned to me, a worried expression on his face. "You didn't exactly give me any clues. You just asked if you could go with me."

I shrugged. "We have several places. We could go to Fort Unik, which has a road leading west, or we could head towards Anikoh Canyon, a place down south." I glanced at the people around his. "We also could head for Suma, which is a bit west."

"Wait, Suma?" Charma furrowed his brow "My pops never taught me about the countries, in all honesty." He shrugged.

"Oh, okay." I looked around for a map, and saw one plastered to a wall. We walked over. "Currently, we're on the continent Edennea. There are four countries in the world. Lycka-" I pointed towards the southeast of the map. "Is where we are now. We're very rich in natural resources, and so, we are often dubbed 'the livestock country.' In the northwest, we have Suma." I pointed towards a large yellow area on he map. "Mostly desert, the country is very rich in resources, such as gems and other minerals. In the south-" I pointed towards a more jagged area in the southern area of the map. "Is Vuor. A country known for culture and blacksmiths. It's very secluded, and so we don't have much contact with them. Finally, in the far southwest-" I pointed towards a dark greenish area on the map. "We have Dragnoir. A country very...dark. It's mostly swamp there, and it's ruler is very secluded, even more than Vuor. We currently have tension with them, sadly. We're working for an alliance with them." I looked towards Charma, who had a look of interest on his face.

"Wow...thats...interesting." he smiled. "I'm really interested in Suma, however. That, and I think I'll fit in better there with the heat." He turned towards the gate. "Let's go for the fort. I think that's our best option."

"Alright. Let's go." I began to walk with him towards the gate. The sky had been very clear that day, and the people seemed more happy than usual. I knew today would be a great one.

We stepped through the gate, and into a field. Charma examined the area, his face lighting up.

"Wow...this is...beautiful!" He looked at me. "It's so nice here..."

"Yup. Welcome to Vuita Field."

 _(Colony 9 - Xenoblade Chronicles)_

Looking around, I really did miss this place. The grass rolled for what seemed like miles, several little houses popped up here and there, animals grazed, and birds filled the air. I smiled.

"Let's get going. We have a bit to go before we get to Unik." I began to stroll down the pathway that lead to a large forest. Charma walked beside me.

"So, uh, do you have some sort of...weapon?" Charma looked at me, worry on his face.

"Oh, no, not currently. Is that a problem, by chance?" I looked back up at him.

"Oh, no, I just wanted to know in case we get attacked...or something." Charma shrugged. "I don't want you getting hurt."

"Alright. Thank you." I smiled, and we continued on our way. The path wasn't long, exactly, and we arrived at our destination quickly.

Our destination being a large forest.

 _(Flowers Blooming in the Church - Final Fantasy 7)_

"Welcome to Kuln Forest."

"A forest, huh Should be careful around here. You can get jumped pretty easily. Happened to me once or twice." He laughed. "Anyway." We stepped into the large forest, and soon enough the path was gone.

Charma looked around. "Something seems...off, here." He looked the room as we walked. His eyes rested on the floor in front of us, and he gasped.

"W-wuh...what happened to the ground?! Why does the dirt disappear?!" The ground in front of us had disappeared, and in its place were leaves.

"Oh, heh. This forest is actually on a cliffside. The trees are really large, and the leaves are bundled so tight that it's actually safe to step on them. Likewise, this place has several floors." I stepped on the leaves in front of us to demonstrate. "Don't be afraid. It's safe, I promise." Charma slowly stepped on the floor, and jumped several times. Finding it safe, he sighed in relief.

"L-let's get going, I don't want to be here much longer..." he shivered and began to look for the way out. I followed suit, and eventually, we found a staircase of tree limbs. I climbed down. The area was a lot darker here. Charma raised his tail to compensate, and a small area of light surrounded us. We slowly walked towards the next staircase, which I assumed was on the other side. Soon enough, however, we heard shuffling in the bushes.

Charma drew his swords, and I slowly stepped back. Three wolves, or whatever they actually were, stepped out of the bushes. They were snarling, and Charma raised his swords.

"B-be careful!" I yelled out, and he looked back and nodded.

 _(Last Hunters - Final Fantasy XIII-2)_

Charma braces himself for an attack as one of the three jumped towards him. He seemingly blocked it with his swords, and returned with a hit of his own. The animal jumped back, and growled. Baring its claws, it attempted to swipe at his leg. It narrowly missed, and it's paw was crushed by Charma's boot. He kicked the animal away, and swiped at another that charged at him. Flipping backwards, all three began to circle him.

He smirked. "You can't hurt me, beasts." He turned in a spinning motion, his swords swinging at the foes rapidly. He hit them all, and all three got caught in the hit, before falling backwards and retreating.

"That was...easier than expected." He swung his swords before putting them away. I quickly ran up to him.

"You okay? That was quick." I examined him, and he shrugged.

"I'm good. They didn't put up that much of a fight. Let's hurry out of here." He began to walk towards the stairs, which he seemed to have found during the skirmish. He went down them, and I quickly followed behind.

We stepped upon solid ground. Charma rejoiced quietly, then looked around. The exit was close, very much so. He almost went into a sprint, and I ran with him, holding my dress up.

We were greeted by another field, this one larger than the last. It was becoming dark, and the sun had turned the sky into a dance of reds and oranges.

"Huh. We'll have to set up camp, soon." He began to walk towards a tree, and unsheathed his sword. Hacking off a few limbs, he began to set up a fire.

"Need some help?" I strolled over to him.

"Yeah." He dug through his small bag, then pulled out a large, clean glass. "Could you fill this with water? There's a spring over there." He pointed west, and a spring was a few meters away.

"Oh, yeah." I ran over and got the water, then returned. He had set the fire up rather quickly, and he seemed to be climbing the tree.

"Hey, i got the water!" I set it near the bag, and sat down near the fire. Sticking a twig into it, it flared up slightly. I slowly found myself falling asleep, and soon enough I had.


	9. Arrival

I awoke to the sound of sizzling. I had been put in a leaf shelter of sorts, logs holding up large leaves and limbs. I sat up, and looked outside. Charma was sitting on a log, turning a piece of meat on a makeshift spit.

"Morning, Charma..." I crawled out, and yawned. He beckoned me over, and I looked carefully at the large hunk of food above the fire. Before I knew it, I was drooling slightly.

"Heh. It's boar. You want some? It's close to being finished." He pointed to a smoothed log. "I made a seat for ya."

I sat down, and yawned once more. "Hey, what time is it?" I glanced at him.

"Eh. The sun rose...maybe an hour or so ago, so it's kinda early." He grabbed at the boar, and took it off the spit. Ripping a small piece off it, he stuck it in his mouth. After a second, he nodded, and ripped off another larger piece. Handing it to me, he smiled. I took the meat.

"Hey, uh, Charma?" I glanced at him once more. "How do I...eat this?"

"Oh?" He turned towards me. "Like this." He bit into his share, and tore it off. "Simple."

Looking back at the boar in my hands, I dug my teeth into it. Tearing a bit off, I slowly chewed the meat. It was savory, and the taste was...exquisite. I loved it, and quickly ate the rest. I sighed, now content.

"Heh. You've ever had boar before?"

"No. Not ever...Growing up in the castle, I was never permitted to have meat for whatever reason."

"Ah, makes sense." He then looked over. "Wait, did you say castle?"

"Yeah. I'm the princess of Lycka. Didn't I tell you?"

"UH, NO. YOU DIDN'T." His eyes widened. "THAT'S KINDA SOMETHING YOU TELL SOMEONE _BEFORE_ YOU SET OUT WITH THEM."

"Heh, sorry. Shoulda told you..." I laughed quietly.

"No kidding...anyway, it's about time we packed up. How far until we get to the Fort?" He began to put away the rest of the boar, and the shelters.

"Maybe...3 hours walk." I shrugged. "Give or take."

"That's...kinda far." He put away the shelters, then finally began on the spit. "You sure you'll be okay? Those slippers are going to kill you, a bit later."

"I'll be fine, I think." I stood up. "You ready?"

"Yup. Let's get going." We began our trek once again.

* * *

We had been walking for about an hour, and the sun had risen farther into the sky. We had been talking quite a lot on the way. It was interesting to hear what Charma's life was like.

"So, what do you plan on doing...after this?" I stopped on the trail for a moment.

"I dunno...probably find someone to settle down with, start a family. I've always kinda wanted to be a blacksmith, but I might stick with being a hunter." Charma turned to me. "And you?"

I shrugged. "I'd love to do the same. Find a husband, have a child...maybe even become a normal girl, instead of a Queen. I've always wanted to study Astronomy."

"Astronomy, huh?" Charma's mouth slowly curled into a grin. "I'd love to study the stars."

"Same here...so, if I may ask. Why are you travelling?" His smile disappeared.

"Oh, uh...you won't like the answer..." I shrugged, and told him to tell me anyway.

"I'm trying to find the person who killed my father...I want to get revenge." His eyes formed a glare pointed at the ground.

"Oh..." I shuffled close to him, and hugged him.

"Anyway." He looked at me once again, the anger in his eyes disappearing. "What about you?"

"Me?" I sighed. "I...dunno, honestly."

"Really?" His eyes widened in surprise. "You don't have a clue?"

"Not one. I've always wanted to travel, and so, that's what I'm doing." I stood up, dusting off my dress. "Let's continue."

"Yeah."

* * *

Charma and I had been walking for quite a while. Eventually, we came across a form in the path. I could tell that the fort had been close.

"Oh, great, a fork." Charma sighed. "Do you know which path leads where?"

"I believe...The left path goes to the fort. The right goes past the border and into Sumian territory."

"Alright, let's get going, then..."

We began to walk the left path. Turning a corner, we were on a mountain side. Looking down from the path, we saw a structure made of stone. I smiled.

"There it is. Fort Urik." Charma began to sprint down the hill, and I had to run to catch up. In minutes, he was at the fort, and I was following close behind.


	10. An Agreement

"Charma! Waaaaaait!" I heard Maria wail. Seconds before, we had set our eyes on the Fort. I just wanted to get off my feet, and so I sprinted the rest of the way. After several minutes of running, and doing my best not to flop over out of exhaustion, I would stop at the door of the small fortress. Two guards stood at the gate, their gaze heavily sat upon me.

"State your name, and business." The two guards solemnly said in tandem. I sighed, then stood to the side as Maria walked up.

"Hello, guards." Maria smiled. "We are here to rest before we continue our travels."

"P-princess Maria?! Why are you not in the castle?"

"I have been given explicit permission to travel with this young man, here. State your name, please."

I stood straight. "Charma, your highness." I bowed, as she had taught me to do.

"Good work. You may stand." She turned to the guards. "Is the captain here?"

"Oh, yes, he is. I will get him for you." The right guard walked back into the room while the other stepped aside so we could enter. Stepping in, a table and few chairs sat in the middle of the room, and two doors on either side were visible. Rows of lances, swords, and axes lined the walls, and several other chairs sat around randomly.

We sat down, and I caught my breath.

Looking up at Maria, I finally decided to ask, "How long will we be staying here, do you think?"

"Likely...one or two days. But it depends on what the captain says." She stretched. "I'm really...tired."

"Same here. Once we find out our sleeping situation, I'm going to bed-" I snapped my fingers. "-immediately."

"Heheh." An Aggron, older in age, stepped out of the room on the right. "Tired, eh? Don't worry, we got some extra living space upstairs reserved for the royalty." The man grabbed a chair and sat down next to us.

"Hello, Captain." Maria nodded at him. "We were hoping to take residence here for a little while." She nodded at me.

"This is an ally of mine on this journey. His name is-"

"Charma, yes?" The Aggron stretched out his hand to shake. "I am Arthur. Good to meetcha!" I took his hand, and he shook it furiously, almost shaking me entirely.

"Whoops. Sorry about that." He laughed. "Anyway, Maria. We have a problem."

"Yes?" She turned to him.

"Our soldiers are currently not here. They're at the castle, and it'll be a week before more arrive..." he sighed. "Could you stay for that amount of time?"

"Oh?" She smiled, and clasped her hands together. "Yes, of course."

"Thank you. You are a life saver." He stood up. "Let me show you two to your room." He grasped at a string dangling near the back of the room. Pulling it down, a staircase had fallen down, and he led me and Maria upstairs. Two doors were on either side, again. Opening the one to the right, he showed us to a large room with two beds. I immediately ran to the bed on the left, and I flopped down. The bed was cushy, and comfortable as all hell.

"Like it, eh?" Arthur closed the door. "Night, sleepyhead." She patted my head before laying down on her own bed. My eyes slowly closed, until I found myself in slumber.


	11. The Pond of Stars

Charma and I had stayed at the fort for...3 days or so. He defended the fort in that time from any intruders, and we had gotten to know each other actually really well.

It was late. I wasn't able to sleep, and neither was he. So, we talked some more.

"Heh, you wouldn't believe what my father would do sometimes..." Charma and I laughed, before I eventually stood up. "Hey, what are you doing?"

"I was gonna...go for a walk. Wanna come?"

"Sure." He stood up and put on his coat. "Lets go." We walked out the door and slowly down the stairs, then down to the door. Stepping out onto the grass, the moonlight fell on us. It was a pretty blue color.

 _(Snowy Valak Mountain - Night - Xenoblade Chronicles)_

"So, where are we going?" We began to walk in the direction of a small forest. The trees shook with a quiet force as the moon set upon them. Animals slept soundly in their dens, or just in the grass. It was so peaceful here...

"I wish I'd have come out here sooner..." Charma gazed around. "It's so pretty..."

"I know. I love it, too." I smiled up at him. His face shined with the moonlight.

He looked down at me. "Thank you."

"Hmm?"

"Thank you for helping me experience the world..." his smile turned somber.

"You're welcome." I laughed quietly, and jumped up, wrapping my arms around his neck in a hug. Hopping down, we entered the forest.

"Charma, close your eyes."

"Alright..." I grabbed his arm as he clasped his other hand over his eyes. I led him down a pathway carved out of the dirt towards...well, something.

The sound of animals hopping around and snoring echoed throughout the trees, and the occasional stream casted a quiet sound of running water, creating a harmony of nature, as I like to call it.

We eventually arrived upon a small pond.

 _(Satorl Marsh - Night - Xenoblade Chronicles)_

Charma gazed around. The pond was small, and surrounded by large trees. A layer of ice had frozen over it, making it glow with a brilliant light. I slowly stepped up to it. Testing it, I began to walk on the ice.

"H-hey! Careful!" I reached out my arm.

"Don't worry, it's safe." I smiled at him. "I promise."

"D-do I have to?" He shivered.

"Yes."

"Goddamn...fine." he grabbed my hand and stepped onto the lake. I slowly stepped away from him and let him find his balance, then I began to slide on the ice. I began to basically ice skate around the lake, and soon enough, me and Charma were sliding in time.

Soon enough, I began to spin around, before vaulting into the air. I landed perfectly, and continued. Soon enough, me and him were on opposite sides of the lake. I slid in, and so did he, and we grabbed each other's hand. We began to spin faster, before letting go, sending us backward. We both turned properly, and we spun in a circle once more.

I began to slide towards him once again. To my surprise, he knelt, and I vaulted over him. We laughed.

We both slid in once more. I slowly put my arms around him, and soon, we danced. We slid slowly in a circle, dancing to no music, just each other.

Soon enough, we were face to face. I felt heat rush to my cheeks.

"Hey, Maria?"

"Yes?"

"For what I'm going to do next, don't be mad...okay?"

"Alright." What happened, however, was kind expected.

Our lips connected, quickly. And as soon as it started...it ended.

Heat rushed to my face quickly. Charma also had a blush up on his face.

"W-wow..." he smiled.

I shivered. "H-hey, could we do that again?" I felt even more heat enter my face as I said that.

"Y-yeah...let's do that." We kissed once again, longer and more...romantic, that time. I removed after a minute, gasping for air.

"Charma?"

"Yeah, Maria?"

"Would it be wrong to say...that thing?"

"No."

"Then...Charma...I think I love you."

"I love you too, Maria."

 **It happened! Yeeeesss.**

 **Charma: kind of early, dontcha think?**

 **Maria: Eh.**

 **Self: who cares? The ship is now official!**


	12. Bloodlust

**Howdy, everyone. Welcome back to Shackles.**

 **Now, before we begin, I have a slight warning. This chapter is kinda...creepy in nature. As I wrote it, I consistently got shivers. I have a twisted mind xP**

 **Anyway, if that's not your kind of thing, move ahead, but if not, continue on!**

 **...Don't say I didn't warn you.**

I awoke to the sound of breathing. I looked up. Charma's sleeping face. Everything slowly came back to me. I shook him.

"Mornin' sleepyhead." I giggled as he awoke.

"Morning, love." He kissed my forehead. "How did you rest?"

"Wonderful..." I yawned. "You?"

'Great." I nestled into his chest.

"Should we get up?"

"Nah..." he yawned. "I'd prefer to cuddle a bit more."

"Whatever you say." I smiled, and he wrapped his arms around me again, and I slowly fell back into slumber.

* * *

( _Dark World - Final Fantasy 6)_

A battlefield. A small space carved into a forest. I was alone, and the moon had shone with a disturbingly brilliant red light. Rain poured upon my head.

"Where...am I?" I looked around. No one. It was eerie.

I was scared, and it was only heightened by the sound of footsteps.

"You." a seemingly angry voice suddenly rang out.

"W-who's there?!" I almost screeched in response. I got no answer, but instead, a changing scene.

I was in a field. The moon was still red.

A figure had been crying over another person. I could barely make out the features, but I could determine the two figures as wearing cloaks.

The crying person suddenly turned to me.

 _"You."_ Their tears stopped.

"H-huh?!" I could see his face more clearly now. He was very fair skinned, and dark purple hair covered his left eye. His right was exposed, dark blue in color.

 _"You killed her."_ he glared daggers. _"You killed...G i r a."_ his voice had turned very angered. He rose into the air, a devilish look on his face.

 _ **"THIS IS HER RETRIBUTION!"**_ His screech was one that I would never forget. One entire half of his body seemingly crumbled, leaving nothing but a faint black outline. Within his hand, a spear of darkness. I quickly grabbed my tome.

 _(Dark Messenger - Final Fantasy 9)_

He rushed to me, flying down at incredible speed. His spear began to emit a dark light.

I quickly flipped open my book and put out my hand. A shield of light quickly formed, and I braced for his attack.

It was swift, and I still was hit. I hurriedly ran to the side, and he implanted his lance into the ground. Using this opportunity, I flipped to another page. I waved my hand, and several balls of flame appeared before me. Quickly shifting their focus to the enemy, they rushed to him, and upon impact, exploded. I smirked.

 _"How cute."_ he laughed, and pointed his spear at me, after removing it so instantly. A dark void of sorts appeared under me and sucked me in. I had no time to respond, and I screamed. The pain was immense. I was returned to the surface quickly, however.

 _ **"VENGEANCE!"**_ he screeched out, and it echoed in my head. He, again, rushed towards me, faster than the first time. He began to spin his lance, and strike me with it. The cuts were very deep, and I could feel the pain resonate within my body. But it was incomparable to what happened next.

One single blow shoved me to the ground.

 _ **"You will pay for what you did to her!"**_ his voice seemed desperate. Sad, even. He pointed his spear at me and began his final attack. Hundreds of stabs at me. I cried out in pain.

 _ **"THIS IS YOUR**_ _ **PUNISHMENT!**_ **"** one final stab sent straight to my neck.

Luckily, I awoke before it could hit.

* * *

I screamed as I awoke. Charma immediately awoke as well.

"Maria! What's wrong?!" he worriedly wrapped his arms around me. I simply sat, staring.

 _(Cele's Theme - Final Fantasy 6)_

"Oh my god..." as everything returned to me, I quickly shifted. Tears began to flow from my eyes as I quickly hugged Charma, crying into his shirt. "Oh, Charma! It was horrible!"

"Shhh..." he squeezed me tightly, nuzzling my head. "It's okay, I'm here...don't worry..."

* * *

 **Aaannnd...there's Shackles Chapter 11. What a spoopy chapter.**

 **Also, more Alma next chapter~!**

 **Alma: Finally!**


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